Mr. Petr Holly

Lounge

Premium Salon

Tokyo, 7pm

2021.10.27

In love with Japan and Kabuki, Petr Holly, a Czech who has been in Japan for 24 years, visits the teaching library designed by A. Raymond

In addition to lecturing on theater at universities, Petr Holly is also active in a variety of activities, including disseminating information about his native Czech Republic, translating, and interpreting. What is the charm of Ginza that Holly, who is fascinated by Japan, talks about?

I fell in love with Japan at the age of 14 and have been devoted to it ever since.
Now he serves as a bridge between the Czech Republic and Japan.

 

Holly first encountered Japan when she was 14 years old. When she read the book introducing Japanese culture that her mother bought for her, she was completely captivated. "I was shocked by the calm and beautiful culture. After that, I studied Japanese very hard. I thought that if I could speak Japanese, I might be able to go to Japan someday."

 

He studied at the Japanese Department of the prestigious Charles University, and in 98 fulfilled his dream of studying abroad in Japan. After graduating from graduate school at Tokyo Gakugei University and Waseda University, he became the first secretary of the Czech Embassy and the first director of the Czech Center Tokyo in 2006. Currently, he is engaged in a wide range of activities, including lecturing on Kabuki and Czech puppet theater at universities, writing about the relationship between Japan and the Czech Republic, and introducing Czech culture to Japan.

On the second floor, there is a corner for traditional performing arts such as Kabuki, Noh, and Kyogen. Pick up any book that interests you. On the second floor, there is a corner for traditional performing arts such as Kabuki, Noh, and Kyogen. Pick up any book that interests you.

On the second floor, there is a corner for traditional performing arts such as Kabuki, Noh, and Kyogen, and Holly picks up books that interest her.

In the good old Ginza of the Taisho and Showa eras
It's so fun to think about it

 

Ginza is my favorite area in Tokyo. “Ever since I fell in love with Japan, I had decided that whenever I went there, I would go to Ginza.I especially admire Ginza from the Taisho and Showa eras.When I look at old photos and movies, I think it’s very fashionable. think". If the people walking by are stylish, the shops will be stylish, and it will feel like a special place. Although the number has decreased, there are still places where traces of those days remain.

For some reason, there is a wall in the center of the building's stairs. Holly was surprised to learn that the Kyobunkan Building is internally connected to the adjacent Bible Hall Building, separated by a staircase. It seems that this structure has been in place since the time of construction. The mark on the right of the photo is the mark of the restroom in the Kyobunkan. It is said that the design remains as it was at the time. For some reason, there is a wall in the center of the building's stairs. Holly was surprised to learn that the Kyobunkan Building is internally connected to the adjacent Bible Hall Building, separated by a staircase. It seems that this structure has been in place since the time of construction. The mark on the right of the photo is the mark of the restroom in the Kyobunkan. It is said that the design remains as it was at the time.

For some reason, there is a wall in the center of the building's stairs. Holly was surprised to learn that the Kyobunkan Building is internally connected to the adjacent Bible Hall Building, separated by a staircase. It seems that this structure has been in place since the time of construction. The retro mark on the right of the photo is the mark of the restroom in Kyobunkan. It has a stylish design, but it is unknown if it was the original one at the time of construction.


The Kyobunkan Building, a long-established bookstore, is one of the locations that Holly chose for this photo shoot. Modernist architecture remains in the history of Japanese architecture. It was designed by Czech-born architect Antonin Raymond and completed in 1933. Although the exterior has been renovated, many parts of the building's interior remain the same, and the original design can be seen throughout.

 

``The handrails on the stairs are truly from Raymond's world.I think everyone was surprised when this building was built in Ginza.There are modernist buildings in Japan, and it was built by Czechs.'' I'm happy.''

 

Holly's standard itinerary in Ginza is to watch Kabuki at Kabukiza and drink beer at Beer Hall Lion Ginza. Since I have been practicing calligraphy for a long time, I often see calligraphy-related products on the second floor of Kyukyodo. "Recently, there has been an increase in the number of casual, global brands. I don't dislike the current Ginza, but I feel like it's losing its special feel a bit," he says with a shrug.

 

"Both Kabukiza and Kyukyodo are very difficult to enter. That's how I imagine Ginza to be. When I was a student, my teacher treated me to Ginza, and I was nervous, but also happy." Holly hopes that Ginza will remain the same as the good old Ginza that she admired. Kyobunkan survived from the Showa era to the Reiwa era, retaining the image of Ginza that everyone admired.

In the elevator hall on the 5th floor. The font of ``5th floor'' is very tasteful. Many parts remain as they were in the past. In the elevator hall on the 5th floor. The font of ``5th floor'' is very tasteful. Many parts remain as they were in the past.

In the elevator hall on the 5th floor. The font of ``5th floor'' is very tasteful. Many parts remain as they were in the past.

Petr Holy

Visiting researcher at Waseda University Theater Museum, director of the Czech collection CHEKOGURA.

Born in June 1972 on the outskirts of Prague. After graduating from Charles University's Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Far Eastern Studies, Department of Japanese Studies (Master of Philosophy) in 97, he went to Japan as a government-sponsored student in 98. After graduating from Tokyo Gakugei University, he completed the doctoral program at Waseda University Graduate School (Graduate School of Letters, Department of Art and Theater) in 2006 as a scholarship recipient from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. He worked as an assistant at the University's Faculty of Letters, and then served as first secretary of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Japan from 2006 to 13 and as the first director of the Czech Center in Tokyo. In 2013, he opened "Czekura", a site that disseminates information about the Czech Republic. Karel Čapek's ``Svankmajer's Museum - A Collection of Tactile Art, Objects, and Collages'', ``Daršenika'', ``Mysterious Cat Pudlenka'' (both published by Bronze Publishing), ``Masters of Czech Animation'' (published by Esquire Magazine Japan), and many others. In addition to writing Japanese subtitles for many Czech films, he also works as an interpreter when Czech government dignitaries visit Japan and during the Prague State Opera's Japanese performances. He is a part-time lecturer at Saitama University, Jissen Women's University Junior College, a member of the Cultural Resources Society, and a visiting researcher at the Waseda University Theater Museum.

 

Kyobunkan Building

Kyobunkan Building is home to one of the few bookstores in Ginza. Reinforced concrete structure with 1933 floors above ground and 12 floors underground. It was designed by Antonin Raymond and completed in December 1919. Raymond came to Japan in XNUMX at the invitation of Frank Lloyd Wright as an assistant in the design and construction of the Imperial Hotel, and went on to design many buildings in Japan. The Kyobunkan Building is an Art Deco style building and was an eye-catching building in Ginza when it was completed. Although it has now been renovated, the original interior still remains, allowing you to experience Raymond's world. There are magazines and maps on the first floor, general books on the second floor, Christian books on the third floor, Cafe Kyoubunkan on the fourth floor, children's books on the sixth floor, and Wenwright Hall on the ninth floor, and it is still alive and well as a famous bookstore in Ginza. .

 

Kyobunkan of Books/Kyobunkan Building

4-5-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

03-3561-8446 (Representative)

10st and 00nd floor General Japanese books 21:00-10:00 (Weekdays and Saturdays) 20:00-XNUMX:XNUMX (Sundays and holidays)

10rd floor Christian books 00:20-00:13 (Weekdays and Saturdays) 00:20-00:XNUMX (Sundays and holidays)

11th floor Cafe Kyoubunkan 00:19-00:XNUMX (all year round), Einkarem(christian goods) 10 : 00~20 : 00(all year)

10th floor Children's book Narnia 00:20-00:XNUMX (all year round)

Text by Yoshiko Takahashi
Photography by Yuji Hori

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